Elemental
by Naerdiel
Summary: HUZZAH! I've finally finished revising this story! This is a story that will hopefully shed some light on the mutant's point of view. Elizabeth has just discovered she is a mutant and learns to deal with it and the world around her. R&R and ENJOY!
1. Chapter 1 Outsider

**Chapter 1: Outsider **

_I feel so invisible…nobody seems to care about me or what I do…I wish I at least had one friend, and then maybe everyone would stop talking about me. _"Look at her. Why is she always alone? She never talks to anyone. What, does she think she's to good for us?" _Open your ears, I've tried talking with you, you just look at me and walk away. You're all just a bunch of egotistical, hypocritical liars that are obsessed with your own story. Why can't you shred the immaturity and grow up…_

I sigh. My eyes open to see raindrops falling against the large window above my bed. My bed is sort of a window seat, except larger. My walls are a creamy greenish-white color. I have a copy of Renoir's _Dance In The Town_ on one wall and _Picking Wild Flowers by Seeger _on the opposite wall. My nose is cold, so I crawl out of bed, pulling the sleeves of my long sleeved, grey shirt pass my knuckles. I quietly walk to the bathroom across the hall. After pulling my long, black hair into a rather sloppy bun, I turn on the water and wait till it's nice and warm. I continue to wash and dry my face and hands. I brush my teeth and take out the headband that was holding my bangs back. I apply mascara and a thin coat of eyeliner. I stop and look into my eyes, wondering about the curious, emerald green left eye, and the bright, amethyst purple right eye. For as long as I can remember, my eyes have been those colors and I have no idea why. I shake my head and walk back to my room, planning to wear dark blue jeans, forest green t-shirt, and long, black sleeves underneath. Finally, I head downstairs.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Mom greets me, looking up from her newspaper.

"Good morning, Mommy dearest" I say grabbing my keys and bag. I then head for the door.

"Aren't you going to eat some breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry, but I will take a cup of coffee," I answer, eagerly getting a thermos and filling it with cream and sugar induced coffee. I smile and take a sip.

"Well, I'll see you when I get home from work."

"Bye!" I say with a smile.

I close the door behind me and walk down the sidewalk to my wonderful, little Jeep Liberty. It is black with very shiny, silver handles. I get in, start the engine, and switch my CD to _Grace Like Rain, _going straight to that exact song by Todd Agnew. I then pull away from the curb and drive off to school. The rain has begun to fall faster and harder. Hearing the sound of it against my window makes me sing out to God in joy.

Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me 

_Hallelujah, and all my stains are washed away_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_All my stains are washed away, they're washed away._

_I love you, God, I really do. And despite my whining about being an outsider and all this morning, I thank you for allowing me to live this day, this beautiful, cloudy day. The rain fills my heart with peace, and the coolness of the air makes me feel warm inside. Thank you, God, I know you've got something planned for me, and I know it's going to be big, for your favor is upon me along with all of your children. I just don't know what that plan is. _I pull up beside the school, lock the car, and run up the large stone steps that lead into the school. So my day begins.

The hours pass by as usual; there has never really been anything new or exciting in this school. I am always on the outside looking in at all of those people who seem to be happy with theirselves, but wary of me. Lunch comes; I eat a small amount of food, considering I have a small body and a very small space for food. No, I'm not anorexic, I have tried to eat more, but I get sick and migraines take control. Since we have an hour for lunch, I am done in ten minutes and I go to play my guitar in the band room. This is my favorite part of the day, because I can be completely alone without having to receive unfriendly glares.

Click 

I freeze. There is a 4570 rifle pointed right behind my ear.

"Make a soun' and you dead," the low, gargled voice says, "Turn aroun'."

Fear has completely swallowed my senses and I start shaking. I can barely tell myself to do as he commands, heck, I can barely think, but slowly I turn. The barrel is now right between my eyes.

"Yeah, you da one, da mutant," he said, spitting at the word 'mutant', "I knew you da one da moment I saw dose cursed, liddle eyes, filty gutta'snipe."

_Mutant?_ What does he mean by that? _Guttersnipe?_ You're the one with moth eaten clothing, greasy, slimy hair, and four sickly, yellow teeth.

"Any last words 'fore I send yo immordal so' to da grave?"

_Immortal soul? _My body is still shaking with horror. _Think, Liz, think! _

"In the name of—" I am stopped.

My hand, which hangs in mid air, is in flames and is shooting fire at the gunman! The rifle is dropped and the man is in flames, rolling on the ground. As I run towards the door, I hear a gunshot and more flames fly from my hands, causing the room to come ablaze. _What is going on?_

"Come back here ya liddle freak!" the man screams with his gun in hand.

I look to my side where I see the bullet hole, and I race out of the room. The fire sprinklers are on and everybody is running through the halls. _What is going on? How did that fire get started? God, please give me an answer of some sort! _I run down the hallway, along with the rush of people. Suddenly, everyone stops. _Hello, the school is on fire. Run, everyone, run out of the building, let's go. _

"What?" I say, somewhat confused.

Their eyes, and mine, fall to my hands. They are still on fire. Crap. I begin to shake my hands, trying to put out the fire. My hands do not burn, nor do they falter under the sprinklers, they do not go out. I look up at the entire school body with apprehension. The entire school body of creeps who have always put me on the outside, always shunning me, refusing to accept me as a friend or an acquaintance.

"She's the freak! The freak that started the fire!" I hear someone say.

"The mutant!" another person says.

"She's a mutant!" someone else says.

At first, it starts as a low rumble, and then slowly it starts to grow. "Mutant Freak! Mutant Freak!" they're chanting. Pure rage starts pumping my blood, and my fists start to clench. The fire has now stopped, but I hear light pounding on the roof above me. I feel my face getting hot; my eyes are tearing up, and the pounding above gets harder and harder. So many people, so much screaming...

"SHUT UP!" I scream, throwing my hands up in anger.

At that exact moment, huge balls of ice crash through the windows, and are thundering above us. I look up and see that the ceiling is shaking under the pressure of the ice. My eyes open up at the shock of it all. Some of the people around me have been crushed by the ice and are, perhaps, dead. The others start to run out of the building. I slowly begin to move, but as I do so, I realize that I am the only one that has not been affected by the storm. I walk out of the half burned school, the balls of ice crashing all about me, but never hitting me. I am unhurt by the storm. _Did I cause this horrific event? God, what kind of power have you given me?_ By this point, though, I am calmed down, and the storm has ceased. It is now just pouring rain, along with my tears of sadness. I walk to my jeep; thankfully the ice did not pummel it. Despite the rain, I race home, run up the stairs to my room, lock the door, and hide in my corner.

_What is going on, God? Am I really a mutant? What is this power you have given me?_ I lift up my white, bony hand to my face. It looks normal. I put it on my cheek and it is cold, as usual. How did—THUMP I wince. Mother, dearest, is home, probably wondering why the principal called her about the fire at the school. Most likely, they blamed me, nailing me down because I'm the outsider, which they were right in doing so, but they failed to hear about the part where my life was threatened by some lunatic! Besides, I didn't do it on purpose.

"Elizabeth Wilhelmina Mae Carter!" I hear my mom say, "Get down here, NOW!"

I haul myself to my feet and walk downstairs, dreading the voice volume war awaiting me there.

"Elizabeth—"

"BEFORE you say anything, Momma," I cut her off, "It was an accident, and first of all, I was about to be shot by some homeless man with a 4570 pointed at my skull!"

This delightful piece of information catches her off guard and all is silent for one second.

"Don't you lie to me, young lady!" she says, fire in her eyes, "Your principal called me, COMPLETELY off it, because her school is BURNING! And she says YOU were the one left at the scene! Try that one on for size." She finishes her little statement with a smirk.

"That's what you tell your DAUGHTER when her LIFE is threatened? How could you not believe me?" I ask with a bit more tears than fire in my eyes.

"Elizabeth, why on earth would someone want to kill you?" she says, avoiding my question.

"BECAUSE I AM..." I stop.

What would she say or think if I told her I was a mutant? Tears are now streaming down my face, and I stomp to the fridge, grab apples and peanut butter, and storm back upstairs.

"You get back here, we're not done until I say we're--" I shut the door.

After wiping the tears and snot away, I turn on my Over Ashes CD on high. I hear muffled sounds of dishes breaking and pots and pans banging. I sit down to eat my apples and peanut butter. I love this stuff. I also love pie. BANG Chicken potpie is the best, just without the green beans. _CRASH_ I hate green beans. _BANG_ The only vegetable I really like is corn, perhaps a baby carrot here and there. _CRASH!_

"Honey, what on earth are you doing?" I hear from my dad downstairs.

A slight giggle escapes my throat. After finishing my substitution of a dinner, I turn down my CD player and sit down to read my Bible.

_But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,  
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,_

_to deliver them from death  
and keep them alive in famine._

_We wait in hope for the LORD;  
he is our help and our shield._

_In him our hearts rejoice,  
for we trust in his holy name._

_May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,  
even as we put our hope in you._

…_But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish…_

_Goodnight God, I thank you for this day, I really do. I take it as a blessing in disguise. I ask that you let your will be done in my life, and also that you will forgive me for my sins. Although, I don't remember sinning today, I had to have at some point though. Supposedly it starts right when we're born, I'm not sure I believe that. I miss my baby girl, my niece I mean, Loralai. OH! Sorry God, you know me and ADD. Anyway, I don't know what's best for me and you do. I wonder if it's just best that I leave here and go someplace where I will be accepted for who I am. My parents will find out soon enough, and I know I won't be welcomed at school. I sigh, I don't know, God, it's all up to you. Goodnight._ And with that I put my mind to rest for the day.

sSsSsThEdReAmSsSsS

"Elemental!" a voice says, "You're flying, you're really flying!"

My eyes look down and around, but I see no one. I am in the air, and I see a rather large mansion with trees and moss everywhere. A beautiful fountain is overflowing with water right below me. The wind is weaving through my hair, and it is a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the smell of spring is in the air, and I am falling with great speed towards the ground! The fountain that once looked like a very small miniature is growing bigger!

I scream, "Please, God, don't let me die! Oh, please not yet, God, please help me!"

sSsSsThEpArEnTsSsSsSs

"Jason?" Tiffany, Elizabeth's mom, asks, "Do you think we should check on Elizabeth? I hear screams."

"…Hmmm? What?" Jason says groggily, "Oh, yeah, Its probably just a dream."

Jason and Tiffany crawl out of bed with a bit of worry floating in their minds. The screams grow louder and louder the closer they get to the door. Tiffany opens the door only to have a rush of wind and rain hit her in the face. The room is in complete chaos. Papers and objects are flying around the room, the window is open, and rain is pouring in from the outside. The most horrific sight of all is to see Elizabeth floating above her bed. Her parents are terrified!

My eyes snap open and I fall on my bed. Wait, I fell on my bed? All of my notebooks and drawings are strewn across the floor. My window is open and the rain is soaking my floor. I turn around.

"Momma, Dad?" I ask, "What are you doing in here?"

"You—You—You where floating," my mother says to me, "Over your bed."

_Floating? Does she mean—_"Flying?" I ask, my eyes begin to open wide in joy, "I was really flying?"

I stare at my parents, waiting for an answer. _God, have you given me the gift of flight?_ This is so exciting! I might actually be able to… I look at my parents. They just stare at me with a disgusted look of fear, and possibly—is that disappointment I see?

"Get out of this house, Elizabeth," my supposed loving, adoring father says, "You don't belong here anymore."

"What?" I ask, completely overwhelmed by this particular statement.

"Get out," my daddy dearest says with a deathly tone.

"But Daddy, why—"

"Get out," He says again, this time with extreme force.

My brow rises in a confused arch. Father looks as if he will throw me out the window if I don't leave. _Why is this happening, God? Why? _

"Momma," I ask, warily walking up to her, "What is he talking about?"

Momma fearfully jumps back at my outstretched hand. Her face is full of terror. She acts like I'm some kind of monster. I step back, wringing my hands as I finally realize what has happened. They have clearly discovered that I am a mutant, one of the freaks they hear gossip about on the news. They don't want me anymore. I throw myself to the floor in tears. Through the blubbering and crying a soft, gentle voice whispers to me, _a blessing in disguise… _I look up through my tearful, curious colored eyes and watch as my parents leave the room and shut the door.

_This, God, this is my blessing in disguise? How could you be so—sorry, forgive me, Lord, please. I will not let anger take its hold on me again. Anger only brings more pain for others and myself._ My mind drifts back to the storm at the school. All of those people lying helplessly on the ground; that is what my anger amounts to. _Forgive me, God, please, I did sin this day, I brought pain and anguish upon others and their loved ones. I will not allow anger to overtake me ever again._ After saying this short prayer to my Father, I bring myself up and wipe away my tears. The only thing left to do is pack up and leave. It seems to be the best thing. First, I gather up the scattered notebooks and drawings I want to keep. I then go to the closet to get my big, grey-green suitcase and lay it on the bed. I take all of my clothes and bathroom items and stuff them inside. On top of that I put in all of my songs, music, notebooks, drawings, and my Bible. Reaching under my mattress I take out a huge billfold, which holds all of the money I've earned from the past 3 years, most of the money I've earned anyway. I put that in my—I guess I should get dressed. I change into some punk jeans and a long-sleeved, grey shirt. After a short while, I am done packing. _Oh crap!_ _I left my guitar at the school! All it is now is an ashtray, darn it! _I regretfully swing my suitcase over my shoulder, grab my sweatshirt, two blankets, and a pillow, and I walk slowly out the door. I pause to say goodbye to my dear, beautiful room. My parents have locked themselves in their room. I lightly knock and say goodbye. They don't answer, and I hold back the tears threatening to fall.

As I step outside, I stop to take in the fresh scent of rain. It is misting now, and it will soon get stronger, I know. I throw my stuff in the trunk of my jeep and start it up. _Grace Like Rain _starts playing, again. A single teardrop slides down my cheek, and the rain begins to pour again. _All right, that's enough, Liz, you stop that now, you'll start a flood._ I wipe away the tear and pull away from the curb. My parents watch me as I leave, from their window. How could they force me away like that? They're the ones who have always taught me to accept people for who they are, no matter what the world thinks is wrong with them. _Oh well, I know this has happened for a reason, I just don't know what that reason is yet._ It is still raining as I drive out of town. I head down the highway, not knowing where to go. After a while my eyes start to blur, so I pull over to the side of the road. Well, it is midnight, and there's not another town for about an hour or so. I do _not_ want to go back and stay at a hotel; that would be completely pointless. I guess I'll just sleep in here tonight. I turn the jeep off and lock the doors. The rain is still coming down pretty hard, but that's not because of me. I'm fine now, and I do love the rain. It is kind of cold in here, though. I put on my sweatshirt, take off my shoes, and crawl into the backseat. I push my suitcase to the floor and cover up with my blankets. The sound of the rain is calm and soothing to my ears. It makes me feel so warm inside. My thoughts drift back to my parents. How could they put me out like that? They acted as if I was some kind of psychotic killer or something. If they won't accept me, who will? Knowing these questions are silly, considering the fact that God is always protecting me, I forget about my troubles for the night and fall asleep.

**Author's Note: **I own everything you don't recognize. Ah, now that that's over...YAY! I finally finished rewriting the first two chapters. The other four chapters will be up soon, sorry it took me so long to get here. I haven't been on the computer for the passed three months. :) Ta.

-Captain Jack


	2. Chapter 2 Michael

**Chapter 2: Michael **

I wake up to the sound of a truck driving by full speed. I look at my watch. _8:30? I've never slept in that late, even when I _do_ go to bed at 4 in the morning. Strange? I know. _AAHH! _Blinding light!_ Yes, the rain has actually stopped since last night.

_Growl gurgle…groan_

My hand goes to my stomach, definitely time to find some food. My mind is a bit blurry as I awkwardly attempt to move to the front seat and succeed in falling to the floor. Right when I hit the floor, the earth shakes violently beneath my jeep, but then stops as fast as it started.

I freeze, "Whoa, lay of the girl scout cookies," I say to no one in particular.

_I couldn't have started an earthquake._ I shake my head and sit in the driver's seat. _Of course not._ I head to the next town, hoping not to cause any trouble there. About an hour later, I arrive in Winchestertonvilleville. _Ha, that's a crock._ This town is so tiny! The first thing I see is a gas station, and what looks to be the remains of a hotel. I stop at the gas station to gas up and find some breakfast. As soon as I get inside, everyone there stops what they are doing and stares at me. _What? Do I have horns growing out of my head? Jeez, people, instead of wasting your time staring at me, why don't you go do something productive like…staring at each other for a change. Idiots. _

"Oh my, it's the girl from outside, come to buy our muffins and Mtn. Dew!" I say with my most dramatic horrified voice, "My physical being is in need of sustenance!" _The stage is now set for our lovely, young actress, Elizabeth Carter. _

My hands are over my face and my horror stricken eyes are peeking out. They see the customers first jumping at the sudden scream, and then settling down again after realizing they have nothing to worry. Yet they still stare at me with wary eyes. I steal a glance over to the cashier to see her snickering at the hilarity of it all. I smile, go back to normal mode as if nothing has happened, and get a pack of Mtn. Dew and a box of muffins. I pay for my sustenance and start walking to the door. Strange, I feel eyes are watching me from behind.

"Oh no!" I say, cringing in terror.

I laugh and continue on my way. People need to loosen up in this world. They're all so, "Refuse the outsider, we must be mean and excluding, because we can't have fun, that's not our way." Not everyone is like that, I know. There are only a few. I gasp. _A music shop! _I pull in right away. I love music shops. It doesn't matter what the size, I'm always curious. Ah yes, nobody is here, so I will not receive random stares from anyone. There is, however, a _very_ attractive, young man standing behind the cash register, wearing a _Reliant K _T-shirt and faded black jeans. I immediately walk towards the guitars, anxious to find one to replace my burned one. _Oh, that still gets me. How could I leave my precious guitar to burn with that psycho? _My eyes stop at…the one. A sort of brilliant light is emitted from it. _Chesbro. _I pause. Is that a choir of angels I hear singing? _Nah, you stop joking around now, Miss Dramatic. _The _Chesbro_ is an acoustic priced at $150.00. Not bad for my future companion—I mean…uh…guitar. I walk up to the cashier.

"Excuse me," I say smoothly, "do you happen to have a case for this?"

He looks up from his guitar magazine. Dark brown, wavy locks frame his face, and his crystal, white eyes are shining right into mine. Our eyes are locked. There's something about his eyes that just seem to entrance me.

"Whoa," he finally says, "Do you wear contacts?"

"Hmm? No, my eyes are always these colors," I say.

There is something very sweet about his voice. It seemed like when he spoke, I forgot all of my troubles and floated away into dreamland. _That's interesting._

"Do you have a case?" I ask again.

"Yeah, I have one in the back," he says, smiling, "I'll be right back."

I smile back and nod. As he disappears behind a door, I let out a sigh of relief. _You're a good actress, Liz. You just keep playing it calm…God? Why have boys never talked to me? I've never noticed it before, but now I just realized that boys never talk to me. They may, at first, seem interested, but as soon as they see how big my personality is, they shrink away. This guy, however, seems like he's actually interested in talking to me. Even in stores they try to say as little as possible. I wonder what his name is. I bet he's a great guitar player. And that voice! That voice is so calm and relaxed… _Something is sparking that curious nature in me, though, I don't know if it's good or bad. I look around the room, barely noticing that my hands are tapping a beat on the counter. _Oh come on, Liz, everything seems to spark that curiosity you have. _

"HERE we go," he says.

I, of course, am completely unprepared for this surprise entrance, and all of a sudden a burst of flame flies from my hand only to set the counter before me on fire!

"What the crap!" he cries, jumping back.

I quickly try to smother it with my hands, knowing I will not be burnt. The idiot, however, pushes me away and yells at me for trying to put it out. Running back behind the door and coming back with a bucket of water, he heroically dumps the water onto the counter. Ah yes, he succeeds in drenching my face as well. The fire, however, does not go out, as I suspected it wouldn't. I immediately smother the fire with my own hands as the shocked cashier watches in confusion. The fire is out, and the cashier is leaning against the wall panting, eyes open wide and darting from the counter, to me, and back again. I turn and run towards the door

"Wait!" he says, "Don't leave."

I stop and turn around, a bit surprised. All he does is stare at me.

"How did you do that?" he finally manages to say, "Your hands aren't even burnt!"

I pause, not really knowing how to explain myself. My stare drops to my hands.

"I don't really know," I say slowly.

He doesn't say anything back to me, so I awkwardly walk to pick up the guitar.

"Is it all right if I still buy this?" I ask.

"Of course," he answers, with a curious smile.

At the sound of his voice my mind floats away. His eyes are so brilliant. I can see nothing but those crystal, white eyes. Out of the silence, a soft, amazing voice reaches my ears. What a beautiful voice. I feel someone reaching into my pocket and grabbing my wallet. Oh, what a voice. I cannot stop whoever is taking my wallet, my hand will not move. I am so lost in those eyes, and that voice has a hold on me. After quite some time I feel the wallet being put back in my pocket. Now, someone is leading me outside to my jeep. The singing stops, I am in my jeep, and driving away from the music shop._ That is strange, I don't remember leaving there…_

"Good morning!" Someone in the back seat says.

My jeep swerves violently on the road, "Shenanigans!" I scream, completely shocked.

"Hold on there, sunshine, it's just me," that someone says.

"Who's me?" I ask.

So I'm not exactly obeying the rules of grammar, but who cares! I want to know who is in my jeep! I pull over to the side of the road; turn off the car, and turn around to face the backseat. The cashier from the music store pops his head up and props it on the seat.

With a grand smile he says, "HI! My name is Michael," he holds out a hand, "What's your name?"

"…Elizabeth," I answer while shaking his hand, a bit confused as to why he is here.

"I paid for the guitar with your money," he says, "I know what you are."

"You know _what_ I am?" I ask, a bit of fear tightening my throat, "How did—"

"Don't worry, I'm one too." He says.

"You don't look like a mutant."

"Yes, I know, neither do you, you just have unusual eye colors."

"What exactly do you do?" I ask, completely surprised at this new friend I have found. _No wonder he followed me, he's a mutant as well._

"I can put people in a trance and make them do whatever I want."

My jaw drops as my temper rises, "That's how you paid for the guitar, you creep, you controlled me!" I say, my voice getting louder.

_How could he do something like that? How could he be so insensitive to my rights as a living being? _

"Hey, calm down," he said, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I nod and calm down as instructed.

"I knew you were probably running away from something, or someone, so I decided I would try and come with you," he says, "And I didn't think you would just let some stranger get in your car, so I had to…control you."

I let myself think about this. Michael takes his hand from my shoulder; his chin is still resting on the back of my seat. _Obviously, this guy is tired of hiding his abilities, and he wants to be with someone he doesn't have to hide from. Kind of like me…_

"What do you think of Mtn. Dew and pancakes for breakfast?" I ask.

"My absolute favorite," he answers, smiling.

"Case closed, you can stay," I answer.

"Huzzah!" I he says and crawls into the front seat.

"Don't you have any clothes or other…belongings?" I ask.

"Yup, I already have them in the back," He says.

"Ah, prepared to run away from home at any time?" I say.

"Well, I've been meaning to leave for a few weeks now, God just told me to stay," he tells me, "It's hard to ignore him."

I smile, "I know what you mean, Michael, I know what you mean."

As I roll down the windows, I see a kid drive by on his bike.

I immediately scream out the window, "I'M SO BEAUTIFUL!"

I laugh as the kid practically falls of his bike. Michael laughs as well, and I continue driving as if nothing happened. After a while, the highway begins to wind through a forest of birch, aspen, and evergreen. The fresh scent of wet grass and trees reaches my senses and I breath in delight. I love forests, and water, I absolutely love water.

"Watch out!" Michael shouts.

Everything goes black.

**Author's Note: **Haha! Another delightful new chapter for my kiddies! I MEAN...readers...right...Anyway, The rest of the story will be pretty much the same as before, except better in first person:) Adieu

-Captain Jack


	3. Chapter 3 The Strangers

**Chapter 3: The Strangers**

My eyes slowly open to see long, straight, green pieces of vegetation—grass. I lift up my head and look around to see a bubbly stream, rocks and trees. I try to prop myself up on my elbow. I cry out as the most excruciating pain shoots through my arm and I roll over on my back, which isn't as painful, but it still hurts. I sit up and examine my left forearm. It is smeared with dark blood from a rather grotesque, long gash running from my wrist to my elbow. The sight of it doesn't bother me, but the knowledge that I am quickly loosing blood alarms me. My head is throbbing from what I'm guessing will be a lasting migraine. _Oh goodness, I remember now! We were driving, and I of course was off in dreamland when we practically hit a deer, throwing us through the… Wait a second, who is we? ...MICHAEL! _I immediately struggle to stand up, calling his name, and everything seems to spin before me. My eyes struggle to focus as they dart this way and that, but I do not see Michael. I see my jeep lying on its side in the ditch, not too far from the rode, but no Michael. I feel the cold, damp weather swallow my senses, but no Michael.

"Michael!" I call, hoping to hear an answer, "Michael! Where are you? Answer me, please!"

And then, by the grace of my loving God, I see it. A crumpled figure sort of rapped around a fallen tree. My breath is cut short as I stagger up to him and see that the tree is on top of him. With my good right arm I half lift and half shove with my body weight to move the tree off of him. Thank goodness it is not a large tree, but merely an old birch tree. _Dear Jesus, dear Father, I know you have a reason for this, and I know that you are watching over us. Of course, you are right here beside me. So I ask that you please help us, please let Michael be okay! I just—What am I going to do? As far as I know, we are in the middle of nowhere. My beloved jeep is now worth nothing to me, and all we have is guitars, money, and…hey, Mtn. dew._

"Great," I say out loud, "We end up crashing, are wounded terribly, and all we have is Mtn. dew."

My eyes shine as I see Michael finally waking up. His grey eyes flutter open and look at me.

"Where are we?" He manages to say.

A look of pure terror takes place on my face as I answer, "In Barnie's evil domain. He's talking with the purple tellietubbie about how to fry our brains and eat our eyeballs," I pause, remembering something, "I think he mentioned something about spoons…"

A hoarse bit of laughter escapes his throat and he winces in pain. _Congratulations, Elizabeth, you have succeeded in torturing this man. _My expression turns to one of guilt and concern.

"I think I broke one of my ribs," he says, leaning on his right elbow.

"Well—"

"What did you do to your arm?" He cuts me off, stealing my look of concern.

"I don't know how that happened," I said, "Probably cut it when we were thrown from the jeep. Can you walk?"

"I think so," he answers as I grab his right hand with my right hand, carefully pulling him to his feet. _We are a bit wobbly, so I'm not sure we should walk too much._

"Alright, Michael, I don't think we should go anywhere too soon. We both just woke up from a blackout, and I steel feel a bit dizzy when I walk. Maybe we should sit down by that stream for a bit, so I can wash my arm. You're not bleeding anywhere, are you? Oh, that cut on your head looks like it needs to be cleaned."

"I agree," he says in turn as we finally reach the bank.

The cool, clean stream water feels good on my bloodied arm, although it stings a little. Michael pulls out a black handkerchief and gives it to me. I use it to clean his head wound. Finally, I sigh, stand up, and look around. We are definitely in the middle of nowhere, completely cut off from civilization. I throw myself to the ground in anguish.

"What are we to do?" I dramatically cry in my British accent, "We are doomed, doomed, I tell you, DOOMED!"

"Wait," Michael whispered, "Did you hear that?"

"Hear wha—" a twig snapped.

I crawl back towards Michael.

"Kind of creepy," I whisper.

"Shhh," he hushes me.

As we wait for someone to pop out of nowhere, I can feel my heart beating faster and faster. _This cannot be happening, God, why is this happening? Just yesterday, I was home with loving parents and no known super powers. Now I'm sitting here with a complete stranger waiting to be murdered or eaten (you choose) by some homicidal psychopath! _Suddenly, to my surprise, a tall handsome man with really cool sunglasses (at least they look like sunglasses) comes out from the shadows of the trees only to see us look at him with fear and suspicion. He is wearing this black suit with a large 'X' across the chest. Behind him is a woman with snow-white hair to her shoulders. She is wearing the same kind of suit, except she has a cape. _Okay, superheroes to the rescue… _They step closer.

"Don't worry," the man says.

"We won't harm you," speaks the woman, "We're here to help."

"Oh really," I say as the world begins to spin again, "Bye bye now." My eyes roll back and I fall to the ground.


	4. Chapter 4 New People

**Chapter 4: New People**

"Quiet, she's waking up!" a girl says.

I squint at the blinding light and focus on the person standing over me. She has choppy auburn hair and a very wide, curious grin on her face.

"Shhh! Don't bother her," I hear another girl say.

"I will take it from here," an older sounding man says.

The girl steps back out of the way and I shift my head over to see who it is. There is an old man sitting in a wheelchair. He has no hair and is staring straight into my eyes.

"Hello, Elizabeth," he says, his voice sounding somewhat familiar, "Kitty, Rogue, why don't you two see how our other patient is doing."

The one whom I first heard, I guess is Kitty, just smiles and nods at him, "I'd be happy to. Come on, Rogue," says she, tugging on Rogue's gloved hand.

Rogue gives me a hopeful smile and follows Kitty out of the room. I guess the "other patient" is Michael. Michael.

"Where is Michael? Can I see him? Is he okay?" I ask quickly, as soon as the door is shut.

"Yes, Michael is fine. He has one broken rib, and he sprained his wrist, but he is doing excellent considering what happened," says the old man, easing me back down onto the bed.

I relax, abide by his wishes, and lay my head back on the pillow. I feel my left arm and find that it is bandaged. I bend it and discover I did not break it; I merely bruised a nerve. My eyes wander around the room. It looks like a regular hospital room.

"Where exactly am I?" I ask finally, "And who are you?"

"I am Professor Xavier, and you are in my school…for mutants. My people brought you here after that dreadful earthquake—"

"Earthquake? I thought we were thrown from the jeep."

"Well, yes, but I thought that was because of the earthquake. Don't you remember?"

Then it hits me. Like a wrecking ball takes down a building, it hits me. Memories of the accident flash through my mind. It wasn't the earthquake that threw us from the jeep. We hit a deer, and that's when the jeep rolled. We were thrown, and right when I hit the ground, this huge earthquake occurred. Causing me to slaughter my arm. Causing Michael to break his rib. It was my fault. Confusion and pity take hold of the Professor's features. My brow furrows at this because he seems to feel sorry for me. I don't know why, I didn't tell him anything. He continues to look at me with pity in his eyes.

_Oh, Elizabeth, it is not your fault. You cannot control your abilities yet. _

_What the French toast?_ _God, was that you? It didn't sound like you, it sounded like a person! _I sit up and my eyes skip around the room, but the only person I see is the Professor. _But he hasn't spoken a word! I saw, his lips didn't even move!_

"Are you a ventriloquist or something?" I ask.

_No, I'm telepathic. I can control and read a person's mind. I can speak to them. I can help you to control your abilities; I can even help you discover the rest of your powers. There is more to you than meets the eye. You are capable of so much more than you think. _

My mind races for a few minutes. _God, please tell me if I can trust this man. Of course you can trust him, Liz, God wouldn't have brought you to him if you couldn't trust him. _

"Can I show you something? I don't know if I can completely control it yet, but I think I know how to create it," I say.

Professor Xavier nods and wheels back a bit. I slowly lift my right hand into the air. The Professor's eyes watch with anticipation. With just a thought, my hand is engulfed in the invincible flame. I mold it with my hands into a ball of fire and toss it back and forth as if I am playing with a toy. I then close my hand over the fire, and it disappears. The Professor smiles a very knowing smile at me.

"You are special, aren't you?" he says.

I shyly nod, "Umm, there is also another thing. The fire I create can't be killed; it can only be stopped by me. And, I think I can create rain storms too, perhaps even water itself," I then begin to explain about the incident at the school. I speak about the gunman, how the school started on fire, and how my anger seemed to bring the killer storm. I tell him how all of the students were chanting 'Mutant Freak' at me. For a moment I pause, for I can still hear their voices echoing inside my mind. I then continue with how I was completely unharmed by the storm of fire and ice. I pause again. The Professor's eyes show compassion. It seems he has dealt with someone like me before. I go on to the dream and how I fell on my bed.

"…After that, they turned me away, disowning me. And I drove to the next town, where I met Michael. He sort of "hitched" a ride from me," I finish.

The Professor hides a laugh at this last comment. He must have guessed Michael's abilities.

"Elizabeth, I had that exact same dream. Except, I wasn't the one flying, I was the one who was talking to you," he says.

"Really? I thought your voice sounded familiar. But how?"

"Come with me, I would like to show you something," he said.

Professor Xavier wheels around and heads out the door, I get off of the table and follow. We walk down a long white hallway to a sort of computer mechanism. At this point, he stops, leans forward, and looks into an eyepiece connected to the machine. Round doors open in front of us and a voice says, "Welcome Professor." We go in to what seems like a giant bubble room.

"This is Cerebro. From here I can locate any mutant on the planet. It's actually very convenient when we've lost a student or need to find someone. This is how I found you. I did not know your abilities or who you where, all I knew was that you needed help."

"Sweet."

"Yes, I guess it is 'sweet' as you call it. Now, I ask that you stand very still, I would like to give you a demonstration."

I do as I am told and stand still. The Professor places on his head this strange looking helmet and the whole room turns into a sort of map. He tells me all of the red dots are mutants. The red dots get larger and I can see people walking around. It is so weird, in a cool way. Finally, he stops the whole thing. We then walk back out of Cerebro, and he leads me to Michael's room.

"Michael!" I say as I run to him, so very thankful to see he is all right.

I don't know his mother's name, or where he was born, or anything like that. But I know he loves God, I know him, I know his character, and I believe we will be great friends.

"Elizabeth!" he exclaims, just as happy to see me.

With difficulty he tries to sit up. He winces at the pain, but hugs me with warmth. We pull back and smile at each other. Our eyes lock together as before, but this time knowing we survived a freak accident together. I turn around and lean on the examination table. Standing beside the Professor are four adults. The first two are women and the second two are men. One has short, platinum white hair, and black skin; I recognize her as one of the two that rescued us. She seems nice. The second is equally as pretty, her skin is white and has faint signs of freckles; her hair is long and dark red. Now the men I believe are quite attractive. The first one I recognize as the guy with the cool sunglasses. I wonder, why is he wearing those inside? He has a very strong face and dark brown hair. The second looks kind of rough. He seems to have a wolf-like quality about him. I love wolves. I also have this strange obsession with penguins… While I am studying the new people in front of me, Michael stands up beside me. From behind the strangers I see Rogue and Kitty with their heads on either side of the group. Rogue seems to be shy, but Kitty is right out there, curious to know whom we are. They can't be any older than Michael and I.

"Elizabeth, Michael, I want you to meet a couple students of mine and their teachers," the Professor says, "This is Storm, usually known as Ororo Monroe, and this is Doctor Jean Grey," they nod as their names are mentioned, "These two are Cyclops, usually known as Scott Summers, and Logan, also known as Wolverine."

"And I'm Kitty," says the bright girl with choppy hair, and bringing Rogue out from her hiding place she says, "This is Rogue."

Okay, Kitty is a little preppy for me. But hey, I guess I get excited about new people too. I suppose I should say something.

"Hi! I'm Elizabeth!" I say going into acting mode and being as bubbly as I can possibly be.

Laughter emerges from Rogue's throat, but Kitty just sits there, I must have hurt her feelings.

"I'm just kidding," I say, laughing along with Rogue, "I'm just a sarcastic brat. It's okay, you'll get used to it."

She continues to stare at me with a very hurtful, piteous look on her face.

"I'm really sorry," I say, becoming very serious.

Kitty shouts out, "HA! I can't believe you fell for that!"

I smile, thinking how I might have just found two new friends. This is going to be great.

"Hello, I'm Michael," he says, stepping up and shaking their hands.

For some strange reason, they don't seem to melt under his gaze. That's very strange; I thought that would work on anyone.


	5. Chapter 5 New Friends

**Chapter 5: New Friends**

"All right," the Professor says, "I think Michael should rest a while longer before he goes anywhere in the mansion."

"Okay, so Barnie and the tellietubbies were a bit hard on him, but at least they didn't do any serious damage," I say. 

Michael laughs with throbbing agony from his ribs and suddenly falls on top of me. I brace myself while Logan helps Michael over to the observation table to sit down. _God, please forgive me, I didn't mean to cause him pain. You know how I am around new people. I know, I shouldn't be so hard on myself…_ A prickly feeling swallows my senses as I feel eyes upon me. I look up to see who it is. Logan is staring at me as if he is studying me, or something. _I hate it when people stare at me without saying a word. It makes me feel nervous and self-conscious. __Professor, do something please!_ I look to the Professor with pleading eyes. Thankfully, he reads my mind and immediately asks Kitty and Rogue to take me away. 

"Rogue, Kitty," he says, smoothly, "Will you please take Elizabeth and show her around the school and where she will be staying?" 

"Sure, Professor," Rogue replies, slightly smiling and taking my hand, "Come on, Beth. Is it all right if I call you Beth?" 

My, she does have a thick Southern accent. "Sure," I say, putting on my biggest smile, "Beth, Bethy, Bethany, Captain Jack..any of those is fine with me." 

"Alright, Beth… what's your last name?" she asks.

"Carter, Elizabeth Carter," I answer, then turn and wave goodbye to Michael.

Turning back and following Rogue and Kitty out of the room, I begin to study them. Rogue is a strange character. She is very quiet. She also seems to be timid with her touch, showing insecurity. Her eyes are very bright, though, this encouraging friendship and conversation. She seems very willing to please, the same with Kitty. Now Kitty, Kitty is a bubbly girl. It seems that she wants everyone to be friends, no putting people into boxes. No little, foolish cliques or anything like that. I think I'm going to have two very good friends for the first time in a long time. As Kitty and Rogue lead me down the long white hallway, I see rows of glass compartments on either side of the hallway. In these, there stand black uniforms. I immediately stop.

"What are these," I ask in confusion.

They stop and turn to look at me. 

"Oh these are the X-Men uniforms," Kitty answers, as if it is nothing.

"The…X-Men?" I ask, completely lost.

"After he started this school, the Professor put together a team of mutants called the X-Men," Rogue answers, and then, seeing Iam still confused, says, "You see there's a lot of other mutants that believe there's a war about to start between humans and mutants. They don't believe that humans and mutants can live together in peace. The most powerful of them is Magneto. A couple months ago he tried to convert all of humanity into mutants…"

My head turns to her, waiting for her to finish. Her eyes fall to the floor and I see a faint tear ripple down her cheek. Kitty rushes to her side and finishes for her, simply saying,

"He might of tried, but he failed," and continues to walk down the hall. 

"Well that's fortunate," I say, but they take no notice. 

_Alrighty then, awkward silence ensues…What's this I wonder_. We come to a door with an X on it. Kitty pushes a button on the wall and the door slides open. An elevator. We go inside, the elevator travels up and the door opens again, this time to reveal solid oak walls, antique doors, and intricately carved, wooden pillars. The walls are decorated with beautiful paintings. The floors are tiled with white marble. _Oh, this is beautiful_. I follow Kitty and Rogue down this hallway, up a flight of stairs, and then another flight and finally to another hallway. They stop at a door that I'm guessing will lead into my room. 

"You'll be sharing a room with us, I hope you like what we've done with the place," Rogue says, clearly forgetting about the incident down in the lower levels of the mansion, "Scott and Ororo found all of your things in your jeep. There's your guitar, and, well, we didn't open your bag 'cause we didn't want to invade your space or anythin'.

"My jeep—I mean thank you, so very much," I meant to ask about the jeep, but I decide against it.

"Your jeep is being repaired in the garage. The damages aren't that bad, it should be up and running soon," Kitty says to me, answering my unasked question.

I sigh with relief. My eyes scan the room. My guitar is leaning against the wall at the foot of my bed. My suitcase and blanket are lying on the bed, which is over next to the window. The room is very large. Rogue walks to my left and sits on the bed next to the door. The foot of the bed faces the window, and next to the head of it stands a nightstand with a lamp and notebook. Kitty's bed is on the other side of the room. Along the wall opposite the window there sits a TV stand with a TV, DVD player, and a row of movies. _I do love movies and I believe I like this room, Though it's not my fantasy garden back home, I believe it will do…home… _I shudder at the word. Forgetting about that for a moment I plop down on my bed and sigh. Then, surprisingly, a question pops into my head.

"Where's Michael's room?" I ask.

They laugh.

"The boys' rooms are on the other side of the mansion," Kitty answers, throwing a pillow my way. 

I give them both a smirk and toss the pillow to Rogue. Strange that; she seems to have emphasized the word "other" in her reply. _I wasn't thinking about that. Goodness, I just wanted to know where my friend would be staying. __I know, I know, God, they were just playing. _

_Guuurrrrrrrrrrgle grooooan _

"Is there a place to eat around here?" I ask.

"Well, duh, this is a boarding school," Rogue answers, laughing and throwing the pillow back at me, "Come on, I'm hungry too. We'll go to the kitchen to get some lunch."

Kitty and Rogue lead me to the kitchen. Connected to the kitchen is a very large dining room with three rows of tables and chairs. There is a head table where I believe the team of X-Men sit. Kitty informs Rogue and I to sit down at the table in the kitchen while she looks around for something to eat. Rogue moves to open a window, and with that a soft breeze flows in along with the sweet song of birds. 

"I can make anything you want, just none of that fancy stuff they serve at expensive restaurants," Kitty tells me, "Cheeseburgers, fried chicken, salads, deli sandwiches…grilled cheese and tomato soup?" 

"Before Kitty came to school here, she worked in a restaurant with her father," Rogue explains to me. 

"Joe's Home Cooking, I started learning at the age of eight," Kitty adds, "Until I was about twelve, that's when I discovered I was a mutant and ran away from home. I had locked myself in the meat freezer, panicked beyond belief, and when I banged on the door to get help, I just fell through." 

"What do you mean?" I ask. 

"Kitty has the ability to walk through walls, or any other solid object you can find," Rogue answers. 

"Demonstration please!" I say, very curious. 

Kitty agrees and walks straight through the kitchen island. 

"Holy hallucinations Batman!" I say.

Kitty and Rogue just laugh at me. 

"What do you want to eat, Beth?" Kitty finally asks. 

"Oh, just a cheeseburger is fine," I reply. 

"Fries?" she asks.

"Sure," I answer.

"Me too," Rogue put in.

I look out the window, closing my eyes and smelling the sweet, fresh air. I turn around to Rogue again, with a question in mind.

"What do you do, Rogue?" I ask. 

Kitty immediately stops what she is doing and turns to look at Rogue with a worried expression. Rogue ignores her and continues to tell me. 

"My ability is different from most mutants," she says slowly, "When people touch my skin, or if I touch their skin, their life energy is sucked out of them and given to me, and that person dies. With mutants I take both their energy and their powers, and, if I hold on long enough, they die as well." 

I look down at her gloved hands, now realizing the reason for them.

"You can't control it?" I say, bewildered.

"…No," she replies and then quickly, "What do you do?" 

I hear Kitty go back to cooking. The sizzle of cold, wet meat on the grill soothes my ears. I love that sound.

"Well…I'm not completely sure yet," I reply, uneasily, "Umm…humph. I just discovered I was a mutant the day before yesterday."

With that said, shock envelopes Rogue's face. Kitty drops the flipper and abruptly turns to me.

"How did you end up here so quickly then?" she asks.

I smile as a short giggle escapes my throat. I tell them everything that had happened since the morning of that day to now. I explain how my eyes had always been two different colors and how I had been an outsider most of my life. I tell them of the fire at school and the chaotic storm. Then, I tell them of the dream and how my parents kicked me out, and also how the Professor had the same dream. I finish with explaining how I met Michael and how we ended up in the car wreck.

"…And after that I just woke up here," I finish, taking a deep breath.

Kitty and Rogue look completely amazed. 

"Are you telling me you can control, create, and manipulate fire, water, and earth?" Rogue asks.

"Umm…Yeah," I say, nodding my head. 

"Dude…It's almost as if you're an Elemental or something, like from Mythology," Kitty says, "Except that you carry all of the elements, not just one."

"I can't control air, though, at least I don't think I can," I correct her.

"Well you did say you were flying in your dream," Rogue notes.

"Yes, but I can have a dream about a giant gorilla dressed up like an old man who seems to be really friendly, as well, but that doesn't mean its real," I say.

They both laugh at my explanation. _Hey, it has happened before_. Kitty sets the cheeseburgers on the table and Rogue walks to the refrigerator to get some ketchup and mustard. Along with the food, Kitty brings three sodas. 

"Liz, you have to understand something," Kitty says after they had sat down, "There are a lot of mutants out there with more than one power. And most of them haven't discovered the rest of their powers yet. To tell you the truth, you are the only mutant I've heard of that has almost completely developed her powers in the midst of two days."

She goes on to take a bite out of her Cheeseburger. As I think about what she said, a thought crosses my mind about the dream. I forgot something.

"Actually, I believe you're right," I say, "I forgot to tell you that after waking from that dream I fell on my bed."

"So…" Kitty says, not completely thinking, it seems. 

She continues to eat her burger, while Rogue, on the other hand, looks at Kitty and back to me. Finally Kitty realizes what I had said and looks up at Rogue and me. We all laugh. 

"You have got to give us a demonstration of your abilities," Kitty says after a few more bites have gone by. 

"Well the only thing I know for sure I can create is fire," I say. 

"You can show us," Rogue assures me, "It's okay."

I smile and bring my hand above the table. I picture my hand in flames and suddenly it is engulfed in fire. I take my other hand and shape the flames into a ball. And, as I did for the professor, I toss the ball back and forth. _But oh baga!_ My hand slips and the fireball flies straight to the stove. The stove is now flaming with my fireball! Before I can do anything, two teenage boys walk into the kitchen. 

"Whoa!" the one with dark hair says with excitement in his eyes. 

The one opposite him reaches towards the fire, but the first one stops him, lifts his own hand and—the fire flies into the palm of his own hand! He turns to me and smiles as if he had just put on a show or something.

"Maybe you should think twice before playing with fire, Missy," he tells me.

_The arrogant moron…He is only succeeding in making me angry. _He laughs and closes his hand over the flame. I roll my eyes, because, of course, the fire does not go out. I stand up, bring the fire back to my own hand and close it over the flame. 

"Maybe you should learn how to control that which is so precious to you," I say, and then with a smirk, "Missy." 

Rogue, Kitty, and the other boy laugh. The dark haired boy just gawks at me. I sit back down. The boy who laughed walks to Rogue's plate and tries to steal a fry. Rogue slaps his hand away, smiles, and hunches over her plate. 

"Get your own!" she says, playfully. 

"Bobby, Missy—I mean John," Kitty says, giggling, "This is Elizabeth…"

"Carter," I finish, holding out my hand, "Elizabeth Carter."

The two boys shake my hand. I smile at both and sit down again. John, however, is still gawking at me_. Okay, now this is just disturbing.__If he doesn't stop it soon I will…do something really bad…yeah. Ugh, this has gone on long enough. I'm gonna—_

"You have really pretty eyes," he says. 

"What? Oh yeah," I say, completely lost, "…thanks."

"I mean…Uhh," he shakes his head, "What I meant was how did you do that?"

"Oh," I say, "Just a magic trick I learned from this witch doctor in Africa." 

John rolls his eyes and smiles.

"Very funny," he says.

"I know, I'm hilarious," I reply in my ditzy voice, fluttering my eyes.

"But seriously, how did you do that," Bobby asks.

"The Professor said something about a girl who could do something with elements," John says, "But I didn't think anything about a girl who could actually create fire. You can create it, can't you?"

"Yes," I answer, "I can create, control, and manipulate fire, water, and earth…I think."

"And air!" Kitty says, "Don't forget air!"

"We don't know for sure yet!" I snap back at her, smiling.

I go on eating my burger while the other four begin talking. Again, Michael pops into my head and I just can't seem to do anything about it. I want to know where he is and where he is staying. I want to know _if _he is staying, if he can play the guitar, how long he's been a follower of Christ. I want to talk to him. I want to see him. _God please give me some sort of answer! _

"…Yeah, We're going to have a new roommate," John says, "That's what the Professor said."

"His name is Michael Goren," Bobby says.

"You've seen Michael?" I ask, "Where is he? Is he walking yet?"

"He's having a little difficulty, but otherwise he's in our room," John answers me, "In the East Wing, but—"

Before he can say another word I am out of there. I'm going to see Michael.


	6. Chapter 6 Weakness

**Chapter 6: Weakness **

The halls are quiet. Everyone seems to be in the Dining Hall eating lunch. Even so, I tiptoe up the staircase in complete silence. It is my first day of school here and I do not want to get into trouble. Now all I have to do is find Michael's room, or worse, end up being found myself. I look down the hallway and see that mostly all of the doors are opened. There is laughter and talk coming from most of them. _So much for everyone being at lunch._I poke my head around the edge of the doorframe of the first door and look inside. A sigh of relief passes my lips, as I see no one is there. With an overdramatic spy air about me, I launch myself pass the room as quietly as possible, well, almost as quietly as possible. The mission impossible theme song is going through my head. _Wait…is there a hand on my shoulder…I'm dead. _I scream and half jump half turn around to face my finder.

"Michael!" I exclaim through a harsh whisper, "What are you trying to do? Kill me?!"

Michael smiles as a hearty laugh escapes his mouth. His wrist is in a brace at his side. No sling, which is always a good sign. _Thank you God for keeping us safe through my stupidity. _

"The question is, Miss Elizabeth," he says, "Is what are you doing in the East Wing? You know, there are no girls allowed unless authorized by staff."

"Is this the East Wing?" I ask, innocently, "Oh, you see, I thought this was the West Wing. I've always had a problem with my left and right. Then again, I was just exploring, you know, finding the secrets of the mansion and all that."

Now I see some of the guys coming out of their rooms and watching us. _I guess they heard the scream._ _Oh, and there they go making stupid remarks about my being a girl and all that rubbish. Can't they keep their sick remarks to themselves? Please God, forgive them, I don't feel they know what they do. I believe I will simply have to ignore them. _

"Right," he says, "You only wanted to find me and see if I wanted to hang out with you or something, like sharing songs we've written or playing guitar. By the way, I'd like to speak to you about your Christian views and stuff. That'd be great."

I frown, but he smiles.

"How did you know all of that?" I ask.

"It's really not that hard to see you have a very curious nature," he answers, "And if you haven't noticed, my wrist is sprained, so playing the guitar is out of the question. I would like to see some of the songs you've written though."

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait with the song writing thing, guys, it's about time for class," John cuts in, walking into the hallway.

"Hi," Michael greets him.

"Hey," John says.

"Elizabeth, you're supposed to go see Professor Xavier," John tells me.

"Busted!" Michael teases me.

"Shut up," I say with a half smile.

I walk pass them and down the stairs, guys whistling from behind. I hear Michael yell at them to shut up. I wonder why the Professor would want to see me?

SSsSsS:ThEpRoFeSsOr:SsSsSs

The team of X-Men all sit in Xavier's office. The Professor, who is currently sitting behind his desk, called them in for a meeting. He rolls out from behind his desk and rests his hands in his lap.

"I called all of you in here to discuss one of our newest students," he says, "Elizabeth Carter," he pauses, eyeing each member with the utmost seriousness, then continues, "Elizabeth is a very special mutant. She has the powers to create, manipulate, and control all of the basic elements of the world; earth, fire, water, and air. Elizabeth only knows of the fire, but she is beginning to sense water, air, and earth. Her powers are growing and maturing rapidly, more rapidly than any other mutant I have known. I have searched her mind and tapped into the unconscious part of her brain, and I have found there is even more to her abilities. If I work with her, Elizabeth will gain the ability to fly, and sooner or later, she will learn that she can turn invisible."

"Invisible?" Storm asks, "You mean she will actually be able to turn invisible whenever she feels like it?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure. I believe invisibility to be a very minor power in her, so it might be tied to her emotions."

"You said she will eventually gain the ability to fly," Jean says, "I thought you said the night she left her home, her parents found her flying above her bed."

"Yes, that is true, but Elizabeth has not grasped that ability," the Professor answers, "Dreams can make your body do things you would not expect. For example, sleep walking. You might have a dream about doing laundry, and once you awaken, you find that you have already done the laundry."

"I understand," Scott says, "Elizabeth flying above her bed is connected to her dream where she was flying above the mansion."

"Why is all of this so important, anyway?" Logan cut in, seemingly annoyed with the whole thing.

"Because," Xavier replies, "Elizabeth is probably the only other mutant I know of being a class five mutant," with that his eyes flash at Jean.

"I don't see how this concerns me," Logan says back to him.

"Actually, Logan," the Professor corrects him, "It concerns all of us. We all have to help Elizabeth adapt to her powers. We must encourage her and not allow her to be afraid of her powers. Fear of one's powers can lead to great destruction, possibly death."

"Are you saying she could be more powerful than you, Professor?" Storm asks.

The Professor laughs, "No," he says, "She may be powerful, but she does have a weakness—"

sSsSsS:SsSsSs

I knock and open the door to the Professor's office.

"Professor," I stop and look around at everyone, "You said you wanted to see me?"

"Ah yes," he answers, remembering, "I did."

Everyone begins to walk out of the room. I, of course, am left standing there all alone. _Please don't let me be in trouble!_

"Please sit down," he says to me.

I do as I am told and sit down on the leather sofa.

"Elizabeth," he says, "I would like to set apart an hour of your time each day to work with you. Your abilities are maturing quickly, and I would like to help you control them."

Relief sweeps over me. I am not in trouble.

"Cool," I say, "Can it be during art? I need my after school time to work on my music, and art is an easy class for me."

"Yes, of course," he answers, "But I don't believe you understand what I'm trying to tell you."

Wheeling over closer to me, I begin to sense something coming. What is it that I am supposed to understand? God's soothing voice enters my mind, _Don't worry Elizabeth. I have something wonderful in store for you… _

"Elizabeth," the Professor says, "You are a class five mutant. Now, I know that may not sound very important to you, but it is. Class five is the most powerful of all. It means this is only the beginning of your powers, you have much more to learn, and a much greater length to grow. It means you can do more than just put on a fire show."

I laugh at this, but quickly shift to a serious mood. I can hardly believe what he is telling me. _Is this that wonderful thing, God? _

"You have abilities inside of you that are just waiting to come out from hiding, and you need to learn how to control them. Like the earthquakes, for example, and the rainstorms, and…the ability to fly."

My eyes open wider at every word. The Professor smiles, softening the fear that was beginning to grow inside of me.

"But you do not need to be afraid," he comforts me, "I can help you, and I will."

I give him a soft smile and take a deep breath.

"So…can I go now?" I ask.

"Yes, I will see you tomorrow," he answers.

"Great," I smile and get up to leave.

But just as I open the door, the Professor speaks.

"I better not find you in the East wing again without permission," he warns me.

I slump my shoulders and walk out the door. _Darn those telepathic abilities! _I head to my next class, which is Chemistry with Dr. Grey. I'm not exactly sure where this is, but I spot Michael walking, so I catch up with him.

"Hey," I say.

"Hey," he says, "How much trouble are you in?"

"I'm not, I have to start taking classes with the Professor. It has something to do with my powers," I say, purposely not telling him I am a class five mutant, "Do you have chemistry next?"

"Yeah, do you?" he asks.

"Yeah, do you know where it is?"

"Kind of, Bobby and John gave me a little tour of the mansion," he answers, "Also, I'm taking the same kind of classes with Dr. Grey, about my abilities I mean. They just want to know how the entrancing bit goes and how I'm doing when it comes to controlling it. They also want to know what I can control."

We come to an open door labeled, "Chemistry Lab," and walk in. We take a lab table with two chairs, thinking it best that we should be partners. Friends must stick together, you know. Dr. Grey stands in front of the class and waits as three more students walk in to take a seat.

"How was lunch everyone?" she asks.

"Good," the whole class answers.

"Did everyone like that Poutine?" she asks.

Poutine? What the heck is Poutine?

"What's Poutine?" I whisper to Michael.

"A French delicacy," he answers.

"What's in it?" I ask.

"Fries, mozzarella cheese, and gravy," he answers smiling, "You can get it at about every restaurant in Canada, even the fancy ones."

I smile and hide a laugh, "It sounds…delicious."

"Class, I would like to introduce two new students," Dr. Grey says, "Michael L. Goren and Elizabeth W. M. Carter."

We both kind of wave as everyone turns around. I give a happy wave when I see Rogue and Kitty looking back at us and waving.

"What does the 'W' 'M' stand for?" Michael whispers.

"Why should you know?" I whisper back, avoiding the question, "What does 'L' stand for?"

"Alright," Dr. Grey says, "Today we will be studying pure, liquid mercury," she takes a tray out from under her lab table which contains many vials of liquid mercury, "Kitty, will you pass these out to everyone. One for each table will do. Now, you will find rubber gloves in the left hand drawer of your lab table, along with lab aprons."

"Now which one's my left?" I ask Michael.

He just smiles and answers, "My side, I'll get them."

Michael gives me mine and begins putting on his. Kitty comes with the mercury, and Michael takes it. Immediately a sharp pain shoots through my head. I wince and hold the side of my head.

"Liz," Michael asks, "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah," I answer, "I'm fine, I'm just getting a headache."

"Now you will take the mercury given to you and pour it into the beaker in front of you. Then take a dropper and put one drop on a slide for the microscope."

"You may do the honors," Michael says, handing me the vial of mercury. As soon as the vial touches my hand, unimaginable pain surges through my entire body. I drop the vial and fall to the ground.

"Dr. Grey!" Michael calls.

My body starts to convulse and I scream in agony. _There is so much pain, God, why is there so much pain? _Jean races to my side and focuses on the mercury. It flies up into the air and back into the vial from which it had come. Michael is crouched over me. It looks as if tears are coming towards his eyes. My eyes blur and slowly close.


	7. Chapter 7 Warning

**Chapter 7: Warning**

_Wake up, my dear Eliza, wake up…They're searching for you, for Elizabeth Carter…you will be called Eliza Jane for a time, but do not worry, I will take care of you…don't be afraid when they come for you, I will protect you…wake up… _

My eyes snap open as I gasp for air. _Oh, my head does hurt terribly so. _I cradle the side of my head in my bony grasp. I blink to allow my eyes to focus on my surroundings. I am, not surprisingly, in the hospital room on the examination table. _That was you speaking to me, wasn't it, God. I do hope you'll explain things a bit better to me. Who is searching for me? _

"Elizabeth, I am so glad you are awake," Professor Xavier says with a sigh of relief.

_Eliza Jane…_

"Eliza, please, call me Eliza," I say as sudden as the name is whispered in my mind, "Eliza Jane."

"Why on earth for?" He questions me.

"Because, God said so," I say simply.

"…God told you so," he says back to me, again with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

I give a reassuring smile and say, "Please, just trust me."

"I do," the Professor replies, reflecting my smile, "I do."

"I have a question, though," I say, "Is there someone searching for me?"

"Searching for you? I—"

The door opens suddenly, and, with a bit of trouble, emerges Dr. Grey and Michael. It seemed they were trying to keep other students from coming in. _I thank you, God, for giving me such friends. Such I know _do _care for me. _I sit up with no difficulty whatsoever, and swing my legs over the edge of the bed, really quite content with myself. _Although, I have no idea why I am here. My headache is gone…God, it would great if you explained a bit more. I know, I know, be patient._

"Elizabeth—Sorry, Eliza, do you not know what happened to you?" the Professor asks me after reading my mind.

"…No, why exactly am I here?" I ask.

"You mean you don't know?" Dr. Grey asks, walking up to stand beside Xavier.

I shake my head in reply and look at her, waiting for an answer. My legs are still swinging beneath me.

"Elizabeth, you've been unconscious for the past three hours! You don't remember anything?" she says to me, bewildered.

"Unconscious? What are you talking about?" I ask, completely lost.

The Professor stares into my eyes for a moment.

"Are you sure you don't—"

"Jean, she doesn't remember anything, it is all right, I will explain," the Professor says, assuring Dr. Grey and I, "Eliza, in Chemistry, you were experimenting with pure, liquid mercury. As soon as the protected mercury was in your hand, you dropped the vial and fell to the floor in convulsions. Soon, you lost consciousness and the convulsions stopped. You've been in this unconscious state for three hours now."

_God, this doesn't make any sense. What is—Oh my! _My eyes open wide and stare straight ahead as memories soar through my mind. That explains the headache. _Thank you God._

"There are not many mutants out there with one real weakness, but you, as I've said before, are special," says the Professor, then turning to Dr. Grey, "Jean, will you please call an emergency meeting in my office with all of the X-Men, including those few students in training. There has been a disturbance, and I hope to correct it before it goes any further."

Dr. Grey nods and replies, "Yes, sir."

Michael now looks as lost as I was just a few minutes ago. I stand up as the Professor turns towards the door, and Michael and I follow him out.

"Emergency meeting?" Michael whispers, "What's that about?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm guessing it has something to do with me," I answer, "I don't know for sure what's going on, but, Michael…" I stop walking and turn to him, "While I was unconscious, God actually spoke to me clearly in my mind. The message he gave me was this; someone is searching for me and I am to be known as Eliza Jane for a time. I don't know anything yet, I don't know why the name is Eliza Jane, and I don't know who is searching for me…I don't know."

_I am so foolish, God, why am I so foolish? Every time I don't know exactly what's going on or what's going to happen I start freaking out and press you for information! Please, God, give me patience! Please, God, grant me peace and… patience! _My eyes wander everywhere in distress, I can't exactly focus on my surroundings, and I start fidgeting with my hands and arms. _I need you God, I need you right now, please calm my nerves, I need…I need you, God, help me…I need, I need, I need…you…my nerves are just…and I can't stop…help me!_

"Elizabeth," Michael speaks to me.

We are all of a sudden on the ground floor and walking towards the Professor's office. _How did we end up here so fast? _

"Elizabeth?" Michael says my name again with a bit of force.

My eyes wander back and forth and then up at him, my mind is in a whirlwind of confusion and nerves! But I whisper, "What?"

"Elizabeth, stop!" He says to me, seizing my arms and suddenly his grip relaxes and the tension building in my neck ceases, "Take a deep breath, now exhale…Good. Now stop and let God."

I sigh a breath of relief. _Thank you God, forgive me, please. I do hope they didn't hear or see anything that just happened, I'd hate to get more attention than I already have, it is really quite unpleasant. _We walk into the Professor's office where we find, well, a whole lot of people. The adults are all here, along with my new friends and a couple of students that I haven't met yet. Michael and I stand together in front of the door. The Professor looks at me strangely and immediately a look of worry crosses his face.

"Elizabeth, have you just had a nervous breakdown?" he says, thankfully, to me in my mind and I—I don't really know what to say.

"Now that we are all here," he says, this time audibly, "I must introduce you to our newest students, Miss Eliza Jane and Mr. Michael Goren. As some of you may know, Eliza's real name is Elizabeth Carter, but from now until further notice she is to be called Eliza Jane and nothing else. We have received information of someone searching for her. There is no reason for us to be alarmed, just be on your guard. We must keep Eliza safe and out of reach of those hands that oppose us."

"Who is searching for me?" I ask.

"Magneto," I hear someone say.

I turn and find that it was Logan who spoke.

"I'll bet you anything that Magneto wants her for some crazy experiment of his," he says to the Professor, but maintains eye contact with me, "She might even be used as a weapon."

"Oh," the Professor gives a distressed sigh and speaks slowly, "Magneto might be planning to strike humanity. He believes there is war brewing between mutants and humans, and is trying his hardest to take over the human race at any cost. Who knows what would happen to you, Eliza, if you were to be captured by him? What would happen to the world?"

I take a deep breath, the words are waiting in my throat ready to escape…_but will they listen to me? Will they trust in what I say, God? Please, give me courage…give them courage to believe…_

"Nothing," I say, "Nothing will happen, because Magneto will not find me. And even if he does…God will protect me. He will take care of me in any way he sees fit. It might not be lightning bolts from the heavens, or random warrior Angels soaring through the sky to my rescue, but I know that something will happen to stop Magneto."

A strange and cynical laugh emerges from Logan and he says, "God? Who is 'God'? What makes you think he's real and 'protecting' you? That's a bunch of bull—"

"Faith," I cut him off, "Have faith, Logan, I know it's extremely challenging for someone with the brain capacity of a four year old," I say with a bit of annoyance, "but at least try to trust and believe. I mean that's what God wants. He wants us to come to him with the innocent thinking of a child."

Logan frowns at me with a ticked off look in his eyes. _Okay, I'm sorry for being a jerk and saying that about him, God, I have a short temper at times…okay, I have a short temper most of the time, but I really am sorry. _I look around the room to see some eyes with hope, some filled with fear, and some with question, but there is one pair of eyes that smile at me. _Dear Michael, I'm going to need your help in this, aren't I? _

"Innocence of a child," Logan says, mocking me, "Look, we don't need to sit here and listen to the obsessive ravings of a Christian while we've got Magneto on our hind end waiting to kidnap that same Christian for his own personal issues."

"Yes, we do," Michael cuts in, standing up in front of Logan, and, to my surprise, looking down to him…_My, he is tall_, "Beth knows what she's talking about, and it would do you best to listen to her."

All of a sudden long, claw-like blades snap from Logan's knuckles and he points them under Michael's chin! _God, please protect him! _

"Maybe you should shut yer mouth and go back to mommy and daddy, got it bub?" He whispers with a low growl.

"Logan!" the Professor says sharply, "Let go of Michael and sit down!"

Logan glares into Michael's eyes where he finds something other than fear: anger and annoyance. He then let's go of Michael, half shoving him away and sits down in his original spot. Michael turns and stands by me again, giving me a smile before he turns. _Thank you, God, thank you so very much._ With one last warning of my identity he asks the rest of the students to leave. As Michael and I are about to exit as well, the Professor stops us and asks us to sit down. I look at Logan who is, in turn, drilling his eyes into mine. The hair on my neck stiffens as I feel the anger from him soaring my direction. _Logan, you do need help desperately…and I aim to give it to you, that is, if it is your will, God._

"Elizabeth, don't worry about Logan right now, he is the least of our problems," says the Professor to me in my mind, "He will learn soon enough, have patience."

"I would be much obliged if you could get along with our two newest students, Logan," he continues out loud, "You need their help more than they need yours. We can't fight this divided; we must stand together against Magneto if we hope to accomplish anything."

I raise my hand as a brilliant question enters my mind, "Question…what's a Magneto?"

Dr. Grey gives a slight smile and answers, "Magneto is a very powerful mutant who can control all forms of magnetism and is an expert on genetic manipulation. He is the head of the Brotherhood of Mutants, an evil gang of mutants set out to destroy humanity. If we're not careful, he will kidnap you and use you as a weapon. Whether against your will or not, he has the power to do so."

"Oh," I say and sit back again.

"Alright," the Professor says, "Now that we have that cleared up, Eliza, I believe it's time we have our lesson, if the rest of you will excuse us. Jean, you can take Michael with you."

"Yes, sir," Dr. Grey answers.

The team of X-men all leave the room, Logan is the last one to leave. The Professor stares at him intently and he looks down and walks out of the door. _He seems ashamed, almost…_

"Now, Eliza, let's have a little chat about self-control," the Professor says to me.

_What on earth could he mean by that, I wonder?_

_**A/N: Sorry if this chapter seems a bit...intense, I was listening to Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet...:) Hope you like this chapter...I would greatly appreciate reviews!**_


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